The Maelstrom is a realm of roiling storms and powerful elemental forces: earth, wind, fire, ice, water, and lightning. While these elements are present and interact in the mortal realm, it is in the Maelstrom that these entities are at their purest and most potent. “Natural Disasters” and “Immortal Acts” are formed where the Maelstrom imbricates upon the mortal realm or sorcerers exercise Tempestry to terrifying effect.
The Maelstrom is also known as the Dominion of Dragons. It is widely believed that dragons are not creatures of Orn, but creatures of the Maelstrom who, when mortal beings found their way into the realm early in the Age of Wonders, entered and adapted to the mortal realm.
A trip to the realm of storms is a difficult undertaking as there are no meaningful maps to guide the intrepid spanner. Conventional wisdom may suggest which elemental planes coexist in harmony with others, but it is a chaotic place without permanent or lateral geography. Ingress, progress, and egress all require uncanny luck, perseverance, or the favor of higher powers.
Denizens
Empedocles [em-PED-oh-cleez]: These are the equivalent of beasts in the mortal realm: small trickles of water, breezes, ambulatory groupings of stone, sparks, etc. The empedocles have agency within their domains, but perform the most basic behaviors: gathering socially with like elements, sustaining themselves, and defending against those whom they perceive as meaning harm. Empedocles never become more than they are without the interference of a greater elemental power or a practitioner of Tempestry. An empedocle will sometimes be called into the mortal realm as a companion or familiar; however, their simplistic natures and weak constitution do not make them well-equipped for long tenure in the shards of Orn.
Chemiakrypts [KEH-mee-A-kripts]: These Maelstrom entities tend to be humanoid in shape and size, an unsettling merging of two or more elements. It is believed that the first practitioners of Tempestry created these entities that would have never occurred without mortal interference, though none but Banekeril or Aldrhunrik may confirm such conjecture. Chemiakrypts are sentient, capable of speech and strong emotion, but limited in rationale.
Fronts and Disasters: During times of upheaval, when a planar area is significantly inundated or drained of energy, a savage front will form and further disrupt the quantity of power. It behooves opposing elemental forces to consume the storm lest it perpetuate and expand, consuming element and plane alike. If left unchecked, the storms will evolve in form and mind to become disasters with the power to rend the planar boundary and cross into other realms and grant significant power to mortals whose interests align with their own.
Dragons: All dragons have strong attunement to the elements because, at their inception, they were creatures of the Maelstrom. While few now call the Maelstrom home, young dragons will journey to the elemental domain to which they are attuned as a matter of personal growth and may be encountered by intrepid spanners who find themselves lost in the planes.
Storm Chasers: This is the title given to all mages who call the Maelstrom home whether they be wizards, sorcerers, or warlocks. Many wizards take up residence in the Maelstrom for academic pursuits; sorcerers are often found working alongside empedocles and chemiakrypts to wrangle and dispel fronts and disasters; any warlocks who work within the Maelstrom are usually working on behalf of their patron disaster. The lost spanner is advised to avoid confrontation with Storm Chasers as the power necessary for a mage to retain its elemental form for more than a few days is considerably more than the average adventurer has at their disposal.
Monastic Order of Cantore: This monastic order takes inspiration from the nature of the many elements in the Maelstrom. Legend has it that this order is based at the heart of the Maelstrom where all elements converge, kept standing by the stalwart, ritual meditation of the order’s founder Jin Cantore; however, there is no first-hand witness to the existence of such a place or such an individual, but there are many spanner accounts of encounters with members of this order who guided the lost back to the mortal realm or to nearby entities capable of aiding their return. The order hosts several exceptional chemiakrypts and lost spanners; however, many of their number originate from other monastic orders and are sent to the Cantore Order either by way of promotion, punishment, or special assignment as each order sees fitting.
Storm Maidens: The Maelstrom is a haven for the divine percussionists, who resemble proud angori women with dark gray wings the color of rain clouds. Arimir’s domain straddles the planes of fire and lightning, and his heralds and martial witnesses take their respite in the planes of lightning and wind. It is their lot to observe and report, so the lost spanner should not expect aid or unmerited interference.
Ralgronok: The immortal of chaos and natural disasters, is a terrifying monstrosity in the form of a great chimeric owl with the head of an elven man. It walks on humanoid legs, and hides a screaming visage and talons beneath its bloody wings. It makes its home in the Maelstrom; though none know precisely where it makes its nest, it is most often spotted in the planes of earth, wind, and lightning.
Domains
Enchiridion [en-kahy-RID-ee-un], the plane of earth: Enchiridion is, conceptually, the easiest plane in which to sojourn as there is a ground to walk upon. However, fluctuations in the elemental energy of a territory may result in rapid formation of cliffs and ravines. Early in Orn’s history, many traveled to this domain in expectation of rich veins of ore and deposits, but it seems that gold, silver, and gems are unique to the mortal realm. Ambitious Storm Chasers attempted grand scale alchemical projects in the Age of Ascension, but the magnitude of power required for these undertakings created an untenable number of fronts that devoured the fruits of the labor before evolving and breaking into Orn. Some of Enchiridion still remembers, and entities perceived as mortal may find themselves at odds with the land.
Anaximenes [an-AX-emen-ees], the plane of wind: as the crags of Enchiridion give way to the planes of wind, it begins to form gentle rolling hills which help create the gusts and gales of this domain. The further in one travels, the greater the squalls blow until they are whipped into violent gusts and tornados. The natural erosion of wind has hollowed out much of the center of Anaximenes, leaving it difficult to travel between the remaining rocky peaks that seemingly fall off into nothingness. Wyverns have made their homes in the cliff sides here and are often seen soaring effortlessly through its skies. A series of bridges, ropes, and empedocles of air which have been indentured to sorcerers make travel slightly possible for less skilled practitioners of Tempestry.
Foteinós [FO-tee-nohs], the plane of lightning: Tall spires emerge from the ground and pierce the sky. These pillars are formed mostly of various metal ores, which calls down an incessant deluge of lightning to the thundering planes. The constant fulmination of the ever-raging storm illuminates the sky with flashes of light across a deep indigo sky. Intrepid Storm Chasers who are interested in studying elemental lightning are known to carve out caves into the metallic spires, acting as a natural conduit to explore its power.
Heraclitia [hehra-KLY-shuh], the plane of fire: While Heraclitia is filled with fire and lava, it is said to be the tamest of the planes. If the spanner has a method of dealing with fire, then there are few environmental threats; the greatest threat in Heraclatia is an ill-meaning Storm Chaser, Front, or Drake. Deep within the plane of fire is an enclave of dwarven Storm Chasers, blessed by Espidrel in the Age of Wonders, these elemental smiths have been kissed by flame and blessed with the secrets of forging flame; in the soft glow of their forges, the Flame Blades craft intricate and vorpal weapons to combat the Fronts of Enchiridion when they arise. Members of the same clan, jealous of their brethrens’ preferential treatment, started rumors about the “finger wagglers” who abandoned the Fireforges, which led to current Dwarven anti-magic sentiments.
Thalesian [tuh-LEE-see-an], the plane of water: Bring a boat. It is rumored that the missing members of the Wolf Clan of Jastrey have made their home here upon many confiscated boats. Thalesian is the most perilous plane in the realm. As in any significant body of water, when submerged it is difficult to orient oneself, and if the spanner is not equipped for underwater adventuring, they are doomed from the start. The plane is loath to release its playthings to the surface, bandying them about in the currents; the surface is no safer as waves can reach tremendous heights to push the helpless spanner below once again. During the Ageless Wyrm Incident of 5,733, several rifts were torn open between the mortal realm, the Maelstrom, and the Deep; as a result, many aquatic fiends were swept in Thalesian and have since naturalized, forming swimming gangs of malevolent marauders, enacting violence on all whom they encounter.
Arignote, [a-RIG-nuh-tee] the plane of ice: Once part of Thalesian, the now frozen-over Arignote has a surface to walk upon, but without proper gear you are likely to find yourself in slippery and fatal encounters. While the earth in Enchiridion may shift and buck beneath you, the glassy surfaces may crack beneath you at any moment, leaving you to tumble into the depths of Thalesian pursued by ice empedocles. Large craters exist across the frozen wasteland, formed from the empty space inside massive whirlpools that seem to have been flash-frozen, creating what appear as inverted mountains with many tiered cliffs ribbing their edges along the descent. The creatures and Storm Chasers living here are seldom seen, leaving many to believe its only denizens are the Empedocles and Chemiakrypts that call this land home.
Polemos [pul-AE-mos], Domain of Arimir: The immortal of strength and conquest has pitched his divine tent over the intersection of the lighting and fire planes. Few dare seek the Hammer of War in his home. However, legend has it that within his tent are two arches deep within that lead into two other realms: one, that leads into the Pit if he ever wishes to revisit either of the sisters who once loved him, the second, a passage to Angor should he wish to relive the conquest of his mortal years. However, if anyone has found these passages, they have not lived to report it.
Dýodrákoi [DEE-oh-dru-KOY], Domain of Drathenix: Dyodrakoi is rumored to be a cave at the heart of the Maelstrom where all planes intersect and the two heads of Drathenix either rest or war as they see fit; however, this theoretical location is also said to be the home of the Cantore Monks. It is as unlikely that these two parties coexist as it is that all the planes intersect in two locations; any brave spanner who can confirm the nature of Dýodrákoi will find their names added to the annals of history.
Erimosi, [AER-ih-MO-see] the Desolation: There is in the Maelstrom a domain of mystery: a plane of stillness and ash cut by the slow-moving river Anyder. Whether this domain is a glimpse into the origins of the Maelstrom or the fallout of some unchecked disaster is a matter of discussion for scholars and spanners alike. Inexplicably, areas of Erimosi’s desolation will appear in the midst of other planes; the impetus for its encroachment and retreat are unknown. Spanners report that these pockets of Erimosi provide brief respite from the perils of the elements, but can steal a spanner’s vigor if they linger too long.
Travel
Intentional travel to the Maelstrom is unadvised. Prolonged exposure to the unique nature of the realm will deconstruct the mortal body into its composite elements within a mest without a trained constitution and significant magical warding. However, if the spanner must venture into this dangerous realm, there are, at present, three paths open to them:
Ivelis’s Rift: Off the coast of Lower Metsar, in Ivelis’ Haven is a rift in the ocean that descends into the overlapping planes of lightning and water. This rift, formed in 5733 NB, initially also stretched into the Deep of the Pit. Beware this method of travel as it requires a sturdy vessel and may lead to encounters with fiendish elementals.
Heart of the Storm: Await an “Immortal Act” and seek the center of the hurricane, typhon, whirlpool, or earthquake. Any disaster that forms around an eye or stems from an epicenter has, at its heart, a brief opening into the realm of storms and dragons. This method also has clear dangers and difficulties of timing, but spanners who themselves are elementally aligned or adhere to faiths of fate and divination will have the best chance of succeeding in this attempt.
Dragon Boon: As beings of magic and elemental power, dragons may travel from the mortal realm to the Maelstrom at will. Dragons, while not a monolith, are universally capable of eating the average spanner. Please complete due diligence before choosing a dragon to petition for aid in this endeavor.